Constance Woods, Tso-chi Chen – VDIV

意外的遷徙 (兩隻老虎)
-靈魂、身心、生活-
我們不能輕易放棄伸出手
談論
看見
聽見

Unintentional migrants of
The soul, the heart and life.
We cannot give up, we learn to speak
Begin to see always listening,

Our shared experiences of art and motherhood have
made our friendship strong. There have been many
changes in the world and Taiwan over the last 20 years,
we have changed too.

Two Tigers

Tso-Chi was born in Taiwan in 1950. She attended Ming Chuan Commercial College, she graduated in 1972 and worked as a bank clerk for almost seven years. She then quit her job and ran into the world of art to try on pottery, wood relief works and oil painting. In 1982 she held her first show of wood relief works at the SPRING GALLERY in Taipei. In 1985 she traveled to the United States and West Germany to study art. In 1986 she studied Lithography at the Hochschule für Bildende künste in Hamburg. She has showed her work in art shows all over the world. Below is a list of some of her exhibitions. In 1993 she and Constance Woods met at an International Women’s Day celebration.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
Graduated from Ming Chung Commercial College, Taipei
Hamburg Art College in Germany
1973 Started pottery and woodcarving
Started on a path in life with the creation and study of art as its focus
Stayed with a Yami tribe, Orchid Island
1982 Second stay with Yami tribe
 Studied at the art pottery villages in Mashiko, Seto and Tokoname, Japan
Visited pottery village in Philippines
Audited a pottery course at Indiana University, Bloomington, U.S.A.
 Third stay with Yami tribe
Featured in a Public Television Station of Taiwan Broadcast “Life: You and Your Work”.
Pottery teacher for a private family in Germany
Studied Lithography, Hamburg Art College
Started to teach myself during recovery from surgery for retina-detachment of both eyes in Germany
Traveled from Eastern Europe to China (Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Yunnan, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Guangchau, Hainan and Hong Kong, Sichuan, Gansu, Dunhuang and Xinjiang
1992 Visited China, to Fujian,Quanzhou, Xiamen, Hukan (the hometown of Lee Teng-hui), Kan City, Youngding (a Hakka community home with circular structure)
1999 Taught art course at Overseas Chinese School in Hamburg, Germany
2003 German Cultural Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Solo exhibition. CTV English News Interview
2007 German Cultural Center, Taipei, solo exhibition and FTV English News Interview
2008 Visited China, to Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen and Hong Kong
2009 Taiwan-Freuendeskreis Bambusrunde e. V. 40th Anniversary Taiwan Week Cultural Exchange Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany
2010 Taipei City interational Tour Guide during Intel’Expo. Visited Orchid Island
2012-13 Visited Germany and Hakka Circular Building, Fujing China
陳作琪
出生於台灣台北市
台北市銘傳商業專科學校銀行保險科畢業
德國漢堡藝術學院進修
與許多藝術家自傳類似-陳作琪通往藝術之路也不是平坦直接的
1980 辭去亞洲信託投資公司會計工作,立志從事藝術創作生涯
1980 開始自學 製陶與木刻藝術.此後,成為奠定她以藝術創造與研究為生命終身職志的轉折點.初次拜訪蘭嶼,和島上原住民雅美族人互動開啟了她的視野與靈魂,引動她創作雅美族人的生活之意念
1982 再度拜訪蘭嶼雅美族人的紅頭村及野銀部落
1983 前往日本 Mashiko, Seto 與 Tokoname 及菲律賓中南部的陶瓷村觀摩陶藝.並在美國印第安那州立大學陶藝中心進修.三訪蘭嶼
1984 接受台灣中華電視公司「生活 – 你與你的作品」節目之孫越先生專訪,以陳作琪的生命歷程為例,介紹一位婦女如何以堅持的心情去尋找一個新的目標以創造新的生命內涵
1983 在德國私人家庭教授陶藝,再入漢堡藝術學院自由藝術學科研習石版畫.之後因眼疾手術開始自我學習之路
1988 海峽兩岸開放後,從東歐到中國拜訪杭州藝術學院,並遊歷北京,西安,上海,蘇州,雲南,昆明,大理,麗江,廣東,海南島,香港.
1990 遊歷中國四川,甘肅,敦煌,新疆,東南亞印尼峇里島
1992 訪問中國家鄉福建省泉州,廈門,湖坑,坎市,永定古建築客家圓樓
1995 德國與馬來西亞遊學
1999 遊學德國與義大利,在德國漢堡中華子弟學校夏令營中授課
2003 訪遊德國與中國,東南亞
2003 慶祝德國文化中心喬遷之喜特展中接受台灣台北中國電視公司專訪
2004 受邀台北國立政治大學商學院個展
2007 德國文化中心個展期間接受民視.台北教育廣播電台教育新航線.國立台灣藝術大學專訪
2008 專訪北京奧運,並停留數月創作,再訪家鄉福建省廈門鼓浪嶼.泉州
2009 九月受邀德國漢堡竹友會40周年慶台灣週文化交流活動舉行個展於漢堡雅歌比(St.Jacobi)
2010 獲任台北國際花卉博覽會-城市國際導覽員,再度訪問蘭嶼雅美族
受邀銘傳大學商業設計系個展演講
2012 台灣藝術家聯展於中國北京
再度訪問中國福建省客家土樓
困境,因右手手臂嚴重受傷及眼疾手術療養,暫無法創作

Two Tigers

两只老虎,
两只老虎,
跑得快,
跑得快,
一只没有眼睛,
一只没有尾巴,
真奇怪,
真奇怪。

Two Tigers
Two Tigers
Run so fast
Run so fast
One has no eyes
One has no tail
So strange
So strange

Visual Dialogues IV

I was born in the United States and came to Taiwan in 1985 to join my parents and finish my last semester of college. I studied in the Spanish Language and Literature Department of Fu Ren University and Mandarin at Shi Da. My parents left in June 1985. I finished credit requirements for my Spanish major from Beloit College, where I had already completed my Studio Arts major. I stayed to continue studying Mandarin. In October 1985, I met Wa Kin; we married in 1986, and have lived in Taiwan since.

My ancestors emigrated to the USA from England in the 1600s, Scandinavia and Ireland in the 1800s, looking for a new life religiously, economically and artistically. They created the family and traditions that I was raised and nurtured in. I am in Taiwan now, because of love. I have had the incredible luck to live here and raise my children in a multicultural environment.

Living away from your native environment can be difficult. Wa Kin’s family took me in, and I think my Mother in law hung the Moon. I also have a family of friends that has made my life complete. My Taiwan family is one of shared interests and love, not just biology: Chen Tso Chi is one of my sisters.

I am a migrant by choice, and live in great safety and comfort. The world is a hard place for many people. Images from the news have and still inform my painting. I am drawn to art that is not always beautiful. Kathe Kollwitz, Francisco Goya and Pablo Picasso are three artists that I think capture the joy, sorrow and unthinkable that exists in life. There is always hope. I am aware of light. The photography in this show is possible due to modern technology. I think I can catch it, and my phone gives me the chance to try. If my work has emotional tension, I do not want to offend, only share the way I see, hear and feel the world around me.

蘭 水虎 我出生於美國並在1985年來到了台灣。當時是跟隨著我的父母來的,之後也就順勢的在台灣修完了我大學的最後幾個學分。我在輔仁大學念了西班牙文學,而在師大我開始學了中文。
在1985年的六月我的父母親突然回了美國,而我卻留下了。不久之後,我在輔仁也補完了我當時在比洛特大學還缺的西班牙文學的學分,我終於畢業了。我的文憑上寫著:「西班牙文學系、 藝術系學士」,可是畢業後我還是留在台灣。
好玩的地方是,在1985年的十月,我認識了華健,而在1986年我們結了婚,結果我就一直沒有離開過台灣。
我的祖先來自於各式各樣地方和歷史背景,在十七世紀我的英國祖先到了美國,而在十九世紀我的北歐和愛爾蘭祖先也各自在美國生根。他們去美國的動機是尋找一個新的生活,一個他們可以說是他們自己的信仰,他們自己的藝術和傳統。
跟著他們的後代我接收到了他們的精神遺產,也成為的一個渴望新環境,新條件的移民。
我今天會還會在台灣是因為「愛」,台灣有著多種文化和民族的傳統,而且能夠在這裡生養下一代是個福。
可是一個人要跟他們原先的環境分離是一件非常困難的事,
幸好華健的家人不只是接受了我,他們也認同我為他們的親人。我也覺得我的岳母是一位下凡的仙人。
同時我在台灣找到了一些真正完成我的知己,他們形成了我的「心」家人。我的台灣家是一群有著相同的想法,相同的愛的人士所組成的,血緣並不重要:陳作琪是我其中的一位姐妹。我是一位選擇當移民的移民,我的生活充滿平安和舒適,我很幸運,因為這個世界其實並不完整。
新聞媒體裡呈現的畫面一直都是我作品的靈感處,我並不認為藝術一定是要呈現美的事物。比如:凱綏·柯勒惠支,戈雅,和畢卡索,他們是我認為最能夠表達生命中的「樂」、「傷」,和「醜」的藝術家。
可是生命中永遠都會有希望,我並不是悲觀主義者,我知道光芒的滋味和藏身處。這個畫展的相片會存在的原因是因為科技的發展,我要不是有這些工具我也不見得會敢去捕捉這些畫面。如果我的作品有造成任何情緒上的不適,請明白我主旨不是要去刺激,我只是想要分享我的觀點,去回應我感受到的世界。

两只老虎,
两只老虎,
跑得快,
跑得快,
一只没有眼睛,
一只没有尾巴,
真奇怪,
真奇怪。

Two Tigers
Two Tigers
Run so fast
Run so fast
One has no eyes
One has no tail
So strange
So strange

Visual Dialogues IV